We are bicycle commuters in the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana. This is our effort to raise awareness of bicycle commuters, encourage more people to get on their bikes, and identify issues pertaining to those of us who use a bicycle for transportation.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

New York City had a 35 percent increase in commuter cycling last year. Much of the increase was attributed to New York City’s Department of Transportation's experimenting with innovative bicycle facilities based on European models.

"The expansion allowed the city to tie the existing network together. Previously, the 400 miles of bike lanes weren’t linked, so the New York City’s Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) focused on making connections, thereby integrating the network. In the process, the NYCDOT was able to design 200 miles of streets for cyclists, drivers, buses and pedestrians.

To deal with unique situations, the NYCDOT borrowed designs from other cities in the U.S. and around the world.

In New York City, on-street bike paths, green coloured bike lanes that make paths more visible to motorists, and wider parking lanes were established to make cycling more enjoyable and safer for commuters.

The safety of the new bike lanes is attracting a lot of new cyclists while dramatically reducing the amount of sidewalk cycling.

Despite the astronomical growth in bicycle facilities, the number of people who commute by bicycle is still only 1 per cent, climbing as high as 4 per cent in some of the denser neighbourhoods of New York City."

Alamo Heights, a suburb of San Antonio, grapples with whether to adopt a "New Urbanist" (but slightly more traditional) approach to its major thoroughfare to improve pedestrian and bicycle access.

"For the past nine months, the city has been asking residents and business owners to imagine everything they ever wanted the city to be. The result was a comprehensive plan envisioning an environmentally aware, pedestrian-friendly village where people can shop, work and go to school by walking, bicycling or a taking a short trolley ride.

Now as residents turn up their air conditioners and start circling parking lots to minimize walking, the city is going to find out how many of those ideals can be achieved. On Tuesday night, the City Council voted to adopt the plan as a 15-year guiding document.

'We think it's asinine,' said Jimmy Satel, a part owner of the men's clothing store Satel's. 'They want to make this where families can walk and bicycle down here. That's wonderful, but it's not great for retail.'"

WASHINGTON, DC- U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson today announced an interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities to help improve access to affordable housing, more transportation options and lower transportation costs while protecting the environment in communities nationwide.

Testifying together at a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing chaired by U.S. Senator Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT), Secretary LaHood, Secretary Donovan and Administrator Jackson outlined the six guiding "livability principles" they will use to coordinate federal transportation, environmental protection and housing investments at their respective agencies. The six "livability principles" are as follows:

Earlier this year, HUD and DOT announced an unprecedented agreement to implement joint housing and transportation initiatives. With EPA joining the partnership, the three agencies will work together to ensure that these housing and transportation goals are met while simultaneously protecting the environment, promoting equitable development and helping to address the challenges of climate change.

The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) applauds the efforts of these agencies and is working to promote similar goals. ITE currently is involved in several ongoing projects focused on livability and sustainability, including the upcoming publications Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach, Smart Growth Transportation Guidelines and School Site Planning, Design and Transportation, as well as Accessible Pathways to Bus Stops and Transit Facilities: A Process Guide, prepared for Easter Seals Project Action. ITE's 2010 Technical Conference and Exhibit: Meeting Transportation's 21st Century Challenges will further the connection between land use, housing and transportation in order to promote more sustainable communities.

ITE is an international educational and scientific association of transportation professionals who are responsible for meeting mobility and safety needs. ITE facilitates the application of technology and scientific principles to research, planning, functional design, implementation, operation, policy development and management for any mode of transportation. Through its products and services, ITE promotes professional development of its members, supports and encourages education, stimulates research, develops public awareness programs and serves as a conduit for the exchange of professional information.

Founded in 1930, ITE is a community of transportation professionals, 17,000 strong, working in more than 92 countries. For more information, visit www.ite.org.

I know that I must have said it before that in ten years we all would look back to this time and be amazed how far we had come with regard to bike infrastructure. I know that this is really not that big a deal in the grand scheme of things but it is still pretty cool that as they do road project, that the City is including bike infrastructure. Now all of the naysayers will gladly stand up and say that these projects or not contiguous and why would the city waste money on putting infrastructure in that appears to not be linked to each other. To that I will say, if we keep doing that then eventually our network will be what all of us want it to be.Anywho, I went out searching for this and I apologize that the pics aren't that great, but my daughter got bit by a dog at soccer practice so we spent the rest of the day light hours at the Redimed. She is ok. It barely missed her eye though so it was kind of a scare. No stitches. But a decent cut and sure to be a black eye tomorrow.

The first one is on Wayne Street and will probably get painted tomorrow!The next two are at the intersection of Hillegas and Butler.(Insert Dearth Vader Voice) It has Begun.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Real Geeks Ride Fort WayneSunday we will ride (You can Join Us!)from the Fort Wayne Outfitters on the Rivergreenway downtown.We'll be there about 1 PM and plan on leaving by 1:30.We will ride to Aboite to celebrate National Trails day with Aboite New trailsWe have alerted the press so hopefully they deem us worthy of interviewing the geeks and getting some publicity. We told them 2:30 at Aboite/Deer Ridge Elementary School.Then it's back to my house for some food and drink.Hope to see you all somewhere!FWBC

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Well, here it is folks.Sunday the Geeks (Joe and Carlos)and all of you (hopefully) will me meeting at Fort Wayne Outfitters around 1PM and will ride out to aboite for the National Trails Day event. Then it is back to the Fort Wayne Bike Commuter's house at around 5PM for a get together. Some food and drink. It will give you all a chance to meet the Geeks and hear about their adventures. Email me with any questions or just plan on a day on your bike with Joe and Carlos of Real Geeks Ride.